Oh what a great question! The first thing to think about is space! What do I have to work with? The next question is needs…what do I need to plant? What about supplies? How much do I have on hand versus how much do I have/want to spend?
Lets start with a couple of lists. The first list will be what seeds do I have now? The next list is what more do I need? When is a good time to plant these and how long will they take to come to fruition?
Lettuce is always a top hit and you can never have too much growing! A challenge may be space. What are some good ways to grow lettuce so you can maximize your return in a small area?
As you can see these are two different techniques. The one I employ every time I use a head of lettuce from the store. I always put it in water to regrow as in the top picture. This is called hydroponic and it is a system of growing that does not use dirt. The bottom is a hanging technique that uses dirt but, utilizes space by growing part of the crop upside down. This combo is tricky because lettuce does not like it too warm and tomatoes do not like it too cold. Keep this in mind when you are mixing your crops together in January. We are growing in zone 8 & 8b so it is not going to get too warm for a bit.
Another fabulous technique is called a cold frame. This is a bed that is covered that takes advantage of the winter light but, keeps the snow and cold off of the plants.
Straw ColdFrame
Cedar Cold Frame
Here’s a list of the best plants to grow inside a cold frame, from A-Z:
arugula
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
chicory
cilantro
collard greens
kale
lettuce
mache
mustard greens
parsley
parsnips
pea greens
radishes
rutabagas
scallions
spinach
turnips
Arugula, spinach, lettuce, cilantro, dill
Onions from a cold frame
Milk jug Greenhouse
Starting your seeds in the winter means you will want to start them inside or in a greenhouse. Using a plastic container or a leftover cupcake container can help you provide the humid environment you are looking for. Any of the plants above are great winter plants and some of them have short cycles to harvest such as; radishes, lettuce, turnips, and carrots.
